Chapter 87: Investigation
The kitchen was best described as limited. A tanuki, Haruka, zipped between sections. The centerpiece of the kitchen was the large, blackened stove fueled by coal. The hissing steam from the train’s engine mingled with the aromatic scents of simmering stews and freshly baked bread. Shelves stacked with jars of spices and neatly labelled ingredients line the walls. Haruka was organized to the point of obsession.
Matasaburō approached the tanuki, who was stirring a steaming hot pot of curry. In the pot beside it, there was boiled rice. Kazi suddenly felt hungry.
"We have a few questions. Would you mind?" Matasaburō asked.
"Mmmm. Sure." Haruka promptly stopped. "Danzaburou said to cooperate, so I will."
The detective took it slow. "So your name is Haruka? You’re the head chef?"
"And the porter and the carter carrier," Haruka added. "I do a lot of things here. Always busy, busy, busy."
"Because Danzaburou puts you up to it?" Kazi questioned.
The white tanuki nodded like a child wanting to please a teacher. "Yes! Of course! He is my commander! Our leader! My leader!"
"A leader," Kazi stated. "So you’re from Sado Island?"
"Sado Island," Matasaburō repeated. "Danzaburou...does this mean this is that Danzaburou? The swindler?"
’Danzaburou,’ Kazi thought, ’one of the three great tanukis of Japan. He’s known for, well, trickery. He’s an embezzler at Sado Island; an island that he is said to lead.’